Garment for regulating personal body temperature

ABSTRACT

A wearable vest for regulating personal body temperature. The vest is fluidly connected to tubes that recirculate water. The water passes through a computer-controlled a thermal unit that has a water block with a pair of Peltier modules that heat or cool the water block. A temperature sensor senses the wearer&#39;s core body temperature and selectively actuates the Peltier modules.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and is a non-provisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62/834,693 (filed Apr. 16, 2019), the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Numerous devices are available to help individuals regulate their body temperature. The current solutions for personal cooling and heating currently include jackets that circulate ice-chilled water or use water sprays. Even at the Paralympics, water sprays are used in between breaks to cool athletes. These crude forms of personal temperature control have no sensory capability. For people who cannot control their body temperature due to a physiological condition, they most likely cannot feel temperature as well. Therefore, they would not know when they are overheating which can result in hyperthermia or heat stroke. Likewise, they would not know when their body is cold and this can result in hypothermia. An improved body temperature regulation system is therefore desired.

The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

SUMMARY

A wearable vest for regulating personal body temperature. The vest is fluidly connected to tubes that recirculate water. The water passes through a computer-controlled a thermal unit that has a water block with a pair of Peltier modules that heat or cool the water block. A temperature sensor senses the wearer's core body temperature and selectively actuates the Peltier modules.

In a first embodiment, a vest for regulating personal body temperature is provided. The vest comprising: an electrical power supply; a computer processing unit; a water pump that is selectively actuated by the computer processing unit; a thermal unit comprising: a water block with a hollow fluid path; a first Peltier module and a second Peltier module, each continuous with opposite sides of the water block; a first cooling fan and a second cooling fan, continuous with the first Peltier module and the second Peltier module, respectively; a vest comprising: a first water manifold fluidly connected to the hollow fluid path of the water pump by a water inlet tube; a second water manifold fluidly connected to the hollow fluid path of the water pump by a water outlet tube; wherein the first water manifold segments the water inlet tube into a plurality of tubes and the second water manifold unifies the plurality of tubes into the water outlet tube, the plurality of tubes being disposed over an area of the vest; a temperature sensor configured to send a core body temperature to the computer processing unit.

This brief description of the invention is intended only to provide a brief overview of subject matter disclosed herein according to one or more illustrative embodiments, and does not serve as a guide to interpreting the claims or to define or limit the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the appended claims. This brief description is provided to introduce an illustrative selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This brief description is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in the background.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the features of the invention can be understood, a detailed description of the invention may be had by reference to certain embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only certain embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the scope of the invention encompasses other equally effective embodiments. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis generally being placed upon illustrating the features of certain embodiments of the invention. In the drawings, like numerals are used to indicate like parts throughout the various views. Thus, for further understanding of the invention, reference can be made to the following detailed description, read in connection with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is schematic depiction of one vest for regulating personal body temperature;

FIG. 2 depicts the vest in an opened state to illustrate certain components;

FIG. 3 depicts a controller for operating certain components of the vest;

FIG. 4 depicts a thermal unit for heating and/or cooling certain components of the vest; and

FIG. 5 depicts a schematic of a voltage divider for use with the temperature sensor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed device is a cooling and heating system in the form of a vest that detects a person's body temperature. When the wearer's body temperature exceeds a desired value or is below the desired value, the system turns on automatically to provide cooling or heating, respectively. When their body temperature reaches the desired value, the system turns off automatically. This concept has the potential for use in a wide range of applications such as cooling or heating for people (including athletes in para-sports) who cannot control their body temperature due to illnesses such as spinal cord injury (SCI). In another embodiment, the system provides cooling and heating jackets that can be worn by healthy people in the winter and/or summer.

FIG. 1 depicts a vest 100. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the vest 100 comprises a pair of sides 102 that releasably close at a closure 104. The closure 104 may be a zipper, a series of buttons or the like. In another embodiment, the sides 102 are monolithic such that the vest 100 does not have a closure 104 but, instead, can simply be pulled over the wearer's head. The vest comprises a neck opening 106 and a pair of arm openings 108.

FIG. 2 depicts the vest 100 in an open configuration. Sewn into the liner of the vest 100 is a plurality of water-filled tubes 200. A controller 202 pumps water into a water inlet tube 204 and a first water manifold 206. The first water manifold splits into the plurality of water-filled tubes 200. The water-filled tubes 200 are dispersed over the surface area of the vest 100. The plurality of water-filled tubes 200 unify at a second water manifold 208 which return the water to the controller 202 via a water outlet tube 210. A temperature sensor 212 sense a core body temperature of the wearer and supplies this core body temperature to the controller 202 using electrical connection 214. In another embodiment, the core body temperature is supplied using a wireless signal. The vest 100 is the heat exchange interface between the water and the wearer's body. In some embodiments, a vest a particularly useful form of garment because of the large contact area with the wearer's body.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, water coming from the controller 202 splits into six individual tubes and circulated around the vest 100 before recombining into one tube and then leaving the vest 100 and going back into the controller 202 for cooling or heating. In one embodiment a total length of about 6.7 meters (e.g. between 6 meters and 7 meters) of the tube was to make six loops around the vest 100. In one embodiment, the tubes 200 are transparent polyvinylchloride (PVC) tubes with an internal diameter of 6.25 mm due to high thermal conductivity as compared to other plastic tubing materials. The embodiment of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 depict a sleeveless vest because only the torso was targeted for heat extraction. In other embodiments, a sleeved vest is used. The inside of the vest 100 may be covered with a thin nylon fabric such as a ripstop nylon fabric.

FIG. 3 depicts the controller 204 in further detail. The controller 202 comprises a thermal unit 300 which is configured to cool or heat water that passes through the thermal unit 300. The controller 202 further comprises a water pump 302 for circulating water in the water inlet tube 204, the plurality of water-filled tubes 200, the water outlet tube 210 and the thermal unit 300. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the water pump 302 is disposed downstream of the thermal unit 300. In another embodiment, the water pump 302 is disposed upstream of the thermal unit 300. The controller 202 also comprises a computer processing unit 304. In one embodiment, the computer processing unit 304 is a Arduino controller. Two relays 310 connect the computer processing unit 304 to the respective Peltier modules 402. The controller 202 also includes a motor shield 306 for controlling motorized components such as the water pump 302 and the cooling fans 404 (see FIG. 4). A power supply 308 provides electrical power to the components of the controller 202. In one embodiment, a 12V power supply is used. The controller 202 may be wearable (such as on a belt worn by the user) or located on, for example, the wearer's wheelchair.

FIG. 4 provides a more detailed schematic view of the thermal unit 300. The thermal unit 300 includes a water block 400 through which the water circulates. The water block 400 may be, for example, a block of aluminum or other thermally conductive material with a hollow fluid path 406 that permits water flow. Contiguous with opposites sides of the water block 400 are a pair of Peltier modules 402. These Peltier modules 402 are configured to either cool or heat the water block 400 and thus cool or heat the water within the tubes 200. A pair of cooling fans 404 is contiguous with each Peltier module 402. Suitable cooling fans 404 include those currently being used to cool the central processing unit (CPU) of computers and include a corresponding heat sink. A pair of CPU heat sinks and cooling fans 404 were used that have low power requirements and high heat-removal capability. In one embodiment, the heat sink specifications are: Voltage=12 V, Current=0.12 A, Power=1.44 W, Cooling power=90 Watts.

The vest 100 is easily configurable. Computer code within the computer processing unit 304 can easily be replaced with alternative versions (e.g. through the Arduino IDE). This can alter the performance of the Peltier modules 402. For more advanced control of the Peltier modules 402, the two relays 310 can be replaced with an H-bridge that can be used to adjust voltage and current and also change the direction of current to make the vest 100 both a cooling and heating vest. This kind of dynamic control would make it possible for SCI patients to use the vest 100 all year round through all seasons.

Peltier modules 402: According to studies, the metabolic rate for an inactive human at rest is approximately 104 Watts. This was the target that was aimed for in cooling and heating power because an SCI patient with the thermoregulatory disorder would most likely be in a wheelchair. To achieve this cooling and heating capacity a combination of two 60 Watt Peltier modules (model TEC-12706) were used to give a combined power of 120 Watts. TEC-12706 has the following specifications: Max voltage=16 V, Max current=6.1 A, Dimensions=40×40×3.6 mm.

Typically, a 40×40 mm Peltier module 402 is be attached to a similarly sized water block 400. However, because the temperature drop or increase across the water block 400 is a function of the time the water spends passing through the water block 400, in some embodiments a water block 400 that is larger than its Peltier module 402 is used. In one embodiment, an 80×40 mm water block 400 is used because the flow path through it has double the length of the flow path through a 40×40 mm water block 400.

Each Peltier module 402 is connected to a separate relay and the supplied voltage can be positive or negation value. When the voltage is a positive value, the Peltier module is a cooling system (i.e. a cooling system). When the supplied voltage is a negative value, the Peltier module is a heating system (i.e. a heating mode). Each Peltier module 402 can be controlled individually based on the wearer's cooling or heating requirements. When neither heating nor cooling are desired the system can enter a resting mode wherein the components are deactuated to prevent wear of the components.

The internal structure of the Peltier module 402 uses relatively high power and current flow in comparison to the other components. Hence if the direct power would be shut off and on frequently throughout the process of regulation, the Peltier module 402 could be damaged. To address this, the two relays 310 were mounted into the controller 202 which provided regulation of power income but also to create logic in this approach, discussed in the Software Algorithm section. The motors on the pump and the fans were controlled by a motor shield which was mounted on the computer processing unit 304, via I/O pins.

Water Pump 302: The water pump 302 was used to circulate water around the fluid circuit defined by the plurality of tubes 200. In one embodiment, the water pump 302 is a centrifugal pump with the following specifications: Output Head=3 meters, Voltage=12 V, Current=0.8 A and Power=9.6 W. The power requirement of the water pump 302 is relatively small compared to that of the Peltier module 402. In many embodiments, the water pump 302 could be run at its maximum speed whenever cooling or heating was being performed. This simplified control of the water pump 302 because it only needed to be turned on and off

The first water manifolds 206 is a manifold that splits the flow of water from the water pump 302 into the plurality of tubes 200. The second water manifold 208 unifies the plurality of tubes 200 into one water outlet tube 210 before entering the water block 400. It was important to keep the head losses in the manifolds 206, 208 to a minimum in order to save energy and to ensure that the manifold splits the flow as evenly as possible. If the water flow is not split evenly over the tubes 200, then in the tubes with the higher water flow would also receiver higher cooling or heating and hence, an uneven heat transfer around the vest 100.

Another energy saving feature of the water manifolds 206, 208 was to render the internal diameter of the tubes equal to the internal diameter of the manifold. The connection points were made for the tubes 200 to be placed within the internal diameter of manifolds 206, 208 instead of around the outer diameter of the manifolds as most tube fittings do. This was to make the internal diameter of the tubes align with the internal diameter of the manifold.

Computer processing unit 304: In one embodiment, an Arduino Uno R3 has served as a microcontroller in the system. The data processed by computer processing unit 304 came from two temperature sensor 212. In one embodiment, the temperature sensors 212 are thermal resistors, thermistors, which were located in the area of person's axillae(armpit). At least one temperature sensor 212 is used although multiple temperature sensors may be used in case one were to fail.

Due to the nature of nervous-system complications, a patient may not be able to sense a change in temperatures. Therefore the vest 100 is designed to actively monitor wearer's core body temperature (CBT). Starting at 37° C. for desired output, if the increase in temperature exceeds the range of 0.6° C. the computer processing unit 304 actuates the cooling mechanism (the water pump 302, Peltier modules 402, and the cooling fans 404 simultaneously). If the decrease in temperature exceeds the range of 0.6° C. the computer procesing unit 304 actuates the heating mechanism (the water pump 302 and Peltier modules 402). Throughout cooling or heating process the computer processing unit 304 continuously monitors any change in temperature to ensure that the threshold, CBT, was to be maintained.

Temperature Sensors 212: One least one temperature sensor 212 for measuring CBT was sewn onto an elastic strap on the opening for the arms. When the vest 100 is in use, the elastic strap is pulled under the arms to keep the temperature sensor 212 in contact with the axillae for proper temperature reading.

In one embodiment, the temperature sensor 212 includes a two-voltage divider to increase the resolution of the temperature sensor 212. A schematic of the voltage divider is shown in FIG. 5. A0 and A1 are the connections where the temperature signal was read by the computer processing unit 304.

An algorithm that operates on the computer processing unit 304 was designed to include a filter based on the running-average approach for the temperature sensor 212.

In one embodiment, the running average filter took two values of two temperature sensors 212 and stored their average into dynamic memory. A predetermined reading (e.g. the tenth reading) takes an average of all existing values and if this temperature average surpassed the reference CBT (e.g. 37° C.) then the cooling system will actuate. Conversely, if this temperature was below the reference CBT then the heating system will actuate. On with each iteration, the new temperature reading shifts the whole list of previously stored data sets, simultaneously deleting the earliest reading, and taking and an average of the whole stored list again.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A vest for regulating personal body temperature, the vest comprising: an electrical power supply; a computer processing unit; a water pump that is selectively actuated by the computer processing unit; a thermal unit comprising: a water block with a hollow fluid path; a first Peltier module and a second Peltier module, each continuous with opposite sides of the water block; a first cooling fan and a second cooling fan, continuous with the first Peltier module and the second Peltier module, respectively; a vest comprising: a first water manifold fluidly connected to the hollow fluid path of the water pump by a water inlet tube; a second water manifold fluidly connected to the hollow fluid path of the water pump by a water outlet tube; wherein the first water manifold segments the water inlet tube into a plurality of tubes and the second water manifold unifies the plurality of tubes into the water outlet tube, the plurality of tubes being disposed over an area of the vest; a temperature sensor configured to send a core body temperature to the computer processing unit.
 2. The vest as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of tubes has a total length between 6 meters and 7 meters.
 4. The vest as recited in claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is a first temperature sensor and the vest further comprises a second temperature sensor.
 5. The vest as recited in claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is a thermal resistor.
 6. The vest as recited in claim 5, wherein the thermal resistor further comprises a two-voltage divider.
 7. The vest as recited in claim 1, wherein the first Peltier module and the second Peltier module are both 60 Watt Peltier modules
 8. A method of regulating personal body temperature, the method comprising: wearing, by a indivdual person, a vest that has a structure as recited in claim 1, wherein there is water within the plurality of tubes; monitoring changes in the core body temperature of the indivdival person over time using the temperature sensor; wherein: if the monitoring finds the change in the core body temperature is indicitative of heating above a predetermined threshold then activating a cooling mode by actuating (1) the first Peltier module in a cooling state, (2) the second Peltier module in a cooling state, (3) the water pump, (4) the first cooling fan and (5) the second cooling fan; if the monitoring finds the change in core body temperature is indicitative of cooling below the predetermined threshold then activating a heating mode by actuating (1) the first Peltier module in a heating state, (2) the second Peltier module in a heat state, (3) the water pump, if the monitoring finds the change in core body temperature is indicative of a core body temperature within the predetermined threshold then activating a rest mode by deactuating (1) the first Peltier module, (2) the second Peltier module, (3) the water pump, (4) the first cooling fan and (5) the second cooling fan.
 9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the temperature sensor is a first temperature sensor and the vest further comprises a second temperature sensor, wherein the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are disposed under different axillae of the individual person.
 10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the the predetermined threshold is 37° C.+0.6° C. 